Life lessons from Nepal
About 6 months ago, in a moment of pre-empty nest syndrome madness, I signed my husband and I up for a 100km ultra marathon in Nepal. At the time I was feeling very sad that my last daughter would soon be leaving home, effectively making my job for the last 20yrs redundant! Neither David nor I had been to Nepal, so it also seemed like a good way to see a new country. Upon hearing of our latest goal, my two eldest daughters decided they would join us and do the 60km option. (I’m not sure what the driver for them was…perhaps they were worried about my mental state and thought I needed looking after…or was it the lure of 4 days relaxing at Chitwan national Park in a lovely resort after the run???)
Whatever the reasons, the girls, my husband and I set off two weeks ago to Nepal. We arrived late on Thursday night and exited the airport to find complete and utter chaos, apparently just a normal Thursday night in Kathmandu. We were ushered into a very dodgy looking bus, which gradually filled up with other like-minded runners who thought an ultra marathon in the middle of nowhere was a good idea.
After a very short nights sleep in Kathmandu, we got back on the dodgy bus and headed to the domestic airport for a flight to Pokhara. Despite the complete lack of organization at the airport we all managed to get on the flight and before we knew it we had left the bustling city behind, and landed in a picturesque town. We had two hours to explore and shop before we boarded a bus once more for the most terrifying ride of my life. For a start the roads are full of potholes and traffic going in both directions all seem to travel in the same lane. Then throw in the location… You know the movies you see where buses are going around hairpin bends; on the side of a mountain with a sheer drop on one side…well that’s what we did, for 3.5 hours!. Luckily the scenery was so spectacular that it helped take our minds off the roads.
We finally arrived at our destination, a small town called Beni, nestled in a valley between two tall mountains. The immediate concern was that whichever direction the run was going to take the next day was going to be up…there was nowhere else to go.
We unloaded our bags from the bus and were separated to the three best hotels in town (I have a suspicion they were the only hotels in town!). We ended up in hotel Yeti, on the fourth floor. There was no lift, no hot water and the bed was like a concrete block, but it was better than what I was expecting and its “rustic” charm was perfect for this trip, it made me feel like a real adventurer.
After a briefing about the course we would run the next day, everyone headed to bed for a good nights sleep. Bright and early on Saturday morning, we all gathered at Hotel Yak (definitely the best hotel in town), excited, pumped and ready to tackle the mountains. At promptly 6.30am, the starting gun went and we headed off for our first days adventure.
And what a day it was. As we all anticipated, it was uphill to start, then more uphill, and then for a change, some uphill!! But I have to say; I have never run anywhere more beautiful. As we climbed rough stone steps we passed through tiny villages where the local people lined the streets and cheered us on. We were greeted with garlands of marigolds and blessed with a red powder that was rubbed onto our foreheads. The steep mountainside below us was terraced with rice fields, which were being harvested by hand. The gorgeous stone houses had thatched roofs with ears of corn drying on the balconies. We ran past young children herding goats and buffalo along dirt paths, and old women carrying huge loads of straw on their heads. We got a glimpse of local life that probably hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years. As we ran higher the majestic Annapurna range was revealed, rising above the cloud line. It was humbling to be part of this landscape, even for just a little while.
After an exhausting six and a half hours, I finally made it to the finish line. Physically I was tired, but mentally I was exhilarated at all I had seen and accomplished out on the trail.
Later that evening, after a “refreshing” cold shower (for those of you who know me well you will understand this was probably the most difficult part for me…I hate cold!), a group gathered around the table in the courtyard of our hotel. There was an amazing sense of camaraderie as everyone shared stories about their challenges that day. It didn’t matter if you had come first, last or somewhere in the middle, you had conquered the mountain.
By around 8.30pm people started drifting off to bed, fully aware that the next day was going to be an earlier start and even more challenging course.
At 5.45am on day two we gathered together at Hotel Yak and the gun went off at 6am. What a surprise, it was an uphill start, 1600 steps to be exact, and then some more uphill on rough trails, through rice fields, along mountain ridges and old logging tracks. The last 10kms was downhill and I felt a huge sense of relief getting to this point thinking I would to the cruise to the finish. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was the toughest downhill I had ever done. Loose rocks covered the trail (which was supposedly a road), and you had to watch ever step for fear of falling. By the time I reached the bottom my quads and knees were screaming, and my legs felt like jelly. The last two kilometers of flat run to the finish line was done at Cliff Young shuffle pace.
The funny thing about running is that as soon as you stop, you feel better. You reflect on the run and get a great feeling of satisfaction at what you have achieved and the endorphins kick in making you feel invincible. Plus, you can eat whatever you like without feeling guilty!
Day three was a relatively easy run compared with the first two days, and half the distance, so it was a perfect way to finish. Our last three kilometers were through a small town where the local folk obviously knew were coming. They lined the streets and threw flower petals at us, cheering us on with shouts of “Namaste” (hello in Nepalese). A few of them yelled “faster”, which at this point was just about impossible! I felt like a superstar.
The three days of the run in Nepal was enlightening for me on a few levels. Firstly, I was incredibly proud to be taking on this challenge as a family. I watched my husband and daughters tackle the mountains and defeat them. What they were doing was well outside their comfort zone, and yet they persevered, pushed through the mental and physical pain barriers to all come out winners. The two girls had to overcome a stomach bug and sprained ankle to continue the run, and that’s exactly what they did.
I love the atmosphere that comes with being part of a group of people all united in a common goal. At the start of the trip we were strangers, but after three days of shared experiences we were friends. We chatted out on the trails and shared our life stories over dinner while passing around the Voltaren and Nurofen. Everyone had their own reasons for being on the trip, their own goals to achieve, and we all helped each other on that journey in some way. While some of the group came along to push themselves to do the best they could, others came along to complete the three days in their own time and enjoy the stunning scenery on the way through. It didn’t matter what your objective was, everyone was supportive and respected each other’s achievements.
My last take away is incredible strength we all have inside us. Physically and mentally we are capable of so much more than we realize. From the day I set the goal to run an ultra marathon in Nepal, I locked it in my head that I would achieve it. At first I felt daunted about how high I had set the bar, so I looked up training programs and was able to break my goal down into manageable pieces. Week by week I grew fitter, stronger and more confident that I was preparing myself for what was ahead. While the big picture had been overwhelming, breaking it down into smaller pieces made it seem possible. While my husband and I had the advantage of training on the hills of Hong Kong and enter races regularly, my two daughters have never done anything like this before. To say they were nervous was an understatement. Yet from the moment they locked Nepal into their calendar, they began to work towards it. What better motivation to get fit than knowing you will be doing 60kms in the mountains? They battled injuries, yet it didn’t stop them. They had set a goal, and nothing was going to hold them back from fulfilling it. On the plane trip home they were already talking about which ultra marathon we would all be doing next year.
Setting a goal and achieving it is empowering. That was never more evident than when we watched everyone come across the finish line on day three. There was not a competitor who got to the end without a huge smile on their face, and hugs or high fives for anyone standing nearby. The award party that night that night was full of people feeling on a natural high. We had come to Nepal three days earlier not sure what we had let ourselves in for, and we had nailed it.
Don’t be afraid to dream big, anything is possible if you’re prepared to work towards it.